IIHF Worlds Recap: Canada 4, Norway 2

GAME STATS: CANADA 4, NORWAY 2

RIGA, Latvia – A new-look top line of Adam Henrique (Burford, Ont./Anaheim,
NHL), Connor Brown (Toronto, Ont./Ottawa, NHL) and Andrew Mangiapane
(Bolton, Ont./Calgary, NHL) provided all the offence, combining for seven
points to send Canada’s National Men’s Team into the win column for the
first time at the 2021 IIHF World Championship with a 4-2 victory over
Norway on Wednesday.

Henrique scored twice and added an assist, Brown had a goal and two helpers
and Mangiapane netted the game-winner in his tournament debut, keeping
Canada’s quarterfinal hopes alive.

“They are both great and [Mangiapane] did a great job coming in and creating right away,” Henrique said. “He plays with some speed. Both guys are creative offensively, so I just tried to get in grind a bit and create things around the net. I thought we had a great game tonight and we’re just going to need more of it.”

Owen Power (Mississauga, Ont./University of Michigan, Big Ten) continued
his breakout performance with two assists.

After scoring just twice in its first three games, the Canadians needed
just 22 seconds to get the offensive festivities started against the
Norwegians; Brown drove to the net and had a centring pass from Henrique
deflect off his skate and past goaltender Henrik Haukeland for an early
advantage.

Downtown Connor Brown!!! ?

Canada kicks things off early in the first period ?#CANNOR #IIHFWorlds @HockeyCanada pic.twitter.com/H9FNf97H17

— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) May 26, 2021

Henrique made it 2-0 on the power play midway through the opening frame,
gathering in his own rebound in close and tucking a backhand around
Haukeland to send Canada to the intermission up by a pair.

It was the first man-advantage goal of the tournament for Canada, which
came into the game 0 for 11.

Despite allowing just six shots on goal as the game neared its midway mark,
the Canadians quickly found themselves in a tie game thanks to a pair of
Norway goals just 80 seconds apart.

Thomas Valkae Olsen was first at 9:08, taking advantage of a turnover at
the Canadian blueline and going five-hole on Darcy Kuemper (Saskatoon,
Sask./Arizona, NHL), and Mats Rosseli Olsen tied it at 10:28 when a Max
Krogdahl shot ricocheted off his skate and eluded the Canadian netminder.

Mangiapane, who missed the first three games while completing his
pre-tournament quarantine, gave Canada the lead back for good just over
four minutes later, roofing a slick saucer feed from Brown.

Connor Brown with the no-look set up sauce ?

Mangiapane gets the ?

3-2 ?? #IIHFWorlds #CANNOR @Senators @NHLFlames pic.twitter.com/mBASZUjktt

— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) May 26, 2021

“We’re a good team,” Mangiapane said of his first on-ice impressions. “There were times in the game where we dominated. I think we have to clean up a bit, play a full 60 minutes as we got away from it in the second and they capitalized on some chances. We have to limit the turnovers and keep winning.”

Canada got into a little bit of penalty trouble in the third period as it
protected the one-goal lead, but Henrique muscled his way to the net and
slipped a shorthanded goal five-hole on Haukeland halfway through the final
stanza to give the Canadians a little bit of breathing room.

Kuemper finished with 13 saves – and picked up an assist – as Canada
outshot Norway 42-15.

The push for the playoffs continues Friday when Canada takes on Kazakhstan
(9 a.m. ET/6 a.m. PT).